What are YOU doing New Year’s Eve? For once, we didn’t procrastinate!

Would you like to hear about our plans for New Years Eve? I’ll be glad to share, but let me take you on the long journey to that conclusion.

I subscribe to dozens and maybe more LISTSERVs for theater and music venues, daily announcing fabulous opportunities all over Los Angeles and vicinity. By paying close attention to last-minute specials I uncover exciting things to do and entertainment packages I might enjoy, often at a fraction of the original ticket cost.

Such was my experience today.

This morning’s email tempted me to spend the evening with Lee Ritenour and Mike Stern.

The Catalina Bar & Grill, a supper club dedicated to Nothing But the Best in Jazz, is well-known for its fabulous mid-week offerings. It’s here you might have a casual and intimate evening with jazz greats like Wynton Marsalis or Diana Krall. This is a smaller venue, which is wonderful, but it’s not exactly in my back pocket during a busy work week. A venture into the heart of Hollywood on a weeknight (Sunset Blvd.) requires planning and enough time for the commute. But for the right conversion of artist and open calendar I would make the effort.

Lee Ritenour is a talented award-winning guitarist I have enjoyed for decades. At a mere 16 he held a session with the Mamas and Papas and at 18 accompanied Lena Horne and Tony Bennett. Not too shabby! His versatility appeals to my eclectic musical interests. He performs with a broad cross-section of jazz, rock and Brazilian music, and when it comes to music, “Don’t fence me in.”

So I was pretty jazzed when I heard he was here for a few nights and thought I’d check into tickets.

Here’s the U-Turn.

It’s rare I really lament the aging process. I am deliberate in my proactive stance and I take good care of myself. I’ve been fortunate to have overall good health.

But there are realities I can’t avoid. I want so badly to turn the clock back to when it wasn’t so hard to stay up late–in this desire I’m still a little kid not wanting to go to bed! But unfortunately my eyes do not respond to mind-over-matter and at a certain fatigue point they simply perform an involuntary shutdown. Nuts!

The Ritenour tickets are sold out EXCEPT for one timeframe. The 10:30 pm sets are available–Thursday and Friday. If it were Saturday, maybe I could take a nap first! So, with disappointment, I am going to pass on the opportunity this time. If there is a NEXT time I need to be much quicker on the draw–other people grabbed the better earlier sets.

And that brings me to our New Year’s Eve plans.

For this occasion planning ahead paid off! We are spending New Year’s Eve with Idina Menzel (Broadway’s Wicked and the original stage production of Rent), and the good news is that we grabbed the first show at the Walt Disney Concert Hall. Somehow on New Year’s Eve we didn’t have the same problem finding EARLY tickets. Perhaps other more resilient people thought 7:00 pm was too early for a New Year’s Eve. It does make dinner a little off-kilter. Well, perhaps we can still find a place to grab a small plate and a glass of champagne after our show.

And when did I purchase these tickets? I was smart! I got the early-bird special! I purchased them in August at a significant savings per ticket, and also chose to avoid the 10:00 performance.

Oh dear! I really do sound like a senior citizen don’t I? Well, some things seem to be unavoidable–acceptance!

More photos of the magnificent Walt Disney Concert Hall–you love it or you hate it–in my next post. I love it…so there are photos I am compelled to share.

And what are you doing New Year’s Eve? Hope you have some plans. I’m thinking many of you can probably stay awake to ring in the new year!

I will, too, I just might be in my jammies by then.

Here’s a very short clip featuring one rather lovely aspect of the Concert Hall. If you love classical music, this is a delight.

35 thoughts on “What are YOU doing New Year’s Eve? For once, we didn’t procrastinate!”

That will be so much fun, Debra. Good for you for planning early AND getting in on an early bird special.

I, too, miss out on occasion. Just can’t do those late nights anymore. Sigh.

What are we doing on New Year’s Eve? Babysitting. Yes! We will be up north a bit after Christmas to celebrate with the northern lights of the family and offered to sit with the grands so that mommy and daddy can have a night of their own.

I think you’re going to have the very best NYE, Penny! And mommy and daddy will undoubtedly be very glad to have you taking the reins! I can’t actually remember the last time we went out on New Year’s. Usually by the end of December I’m too tired. So this is kind of a big deal for us…but we still had to do it early! LOL!

Your post made me smile. For NY Eve’s we (and some other couples) go to a friend’s home for dinner (at 7). We are home by 11 and watch the ball come down at midnight. Sometimes we don’t get to see the ball…….snooze!

Oh good, Kate! It’s not just me! LOL! Let’s face it. By the time we get through to the end of December we are tired, aren’t we! I assume we will be home early enough from out big night out that maybe we can still watch a movie! That is, if I can stay awake!

The feet in the video’s opening … holy cow! Nonetheless, it sounds like you are ready to go … and it will be here soon! Our plans are still up in the air – well, especially because we have some indecisive friends at the moment – but plans will settle in soon.

I loved the organist in the video, too, Frank. I couldn’t believe how she maneuvered those pedals! I think one of the things that motivated us to make our plans early this year was that we typically are waiting for everyone else to make their plans, and then we fit in. This year I just wanted to have solid plans early!

I will be over “to your place” later this evening and see what you’ve been up to! 🙂

Wow that’s an incredible looking concert hall! I’d love to see it in person. We go to a party at our close friends’ home every year and always have a great time. It’s very convenient too, as they only live a few minutes away from us. We usually roll in back home around 3 AM or so….yeah, it’s *that* good! 😀

Your plans sound really nice! I don’t think I’ve been to a true NYE party in years! So do you sleep the rest of New Year’s Day? 🙂 I will post some more photos of the concert hall in a day or so. It is an amazingly complex building! I’m glad you enjoyed the photos!

Nice catch getting tickets early for the Idina Menzel show. I regret that I missed her when she came to Chicago.
For years I worked behind the bar on New Year’s Eve. That pretty much ruined any idea of going “out” on the Eve. I’ve no need to see or be a part of that madness any more. Now, a friend has a small dinner party of 6. Hors d’oeuvres are served at 8:00 and dessert at mid-night. It’s a wonderful evening and, believe it or not, the time just seems to fly. I’ve reached the age where this is my kind of party! 🙂

Well now that does sound like a well planned News Years Eve.. have a wonderful time.. we don’t even know where we will be… hopefully out camping in the bush some where so we can watch the stars and watch the new year in…

Well planned, Debra, and I too would have gone for the early show. that is a spectacular concert hall and I’m sure you’ll have a fantastic time. We will be spending New Year’s Eve playing silly games with DD and her family before seeing the New Year in and heading for our beds. 🙂

We have had many, many years of playing board or card games on New Years Eve, Perpetua. Our time “out in the festivities” will be a once in 40 years event! So you can see why I’m making a big deal out of it! LOL! Maybe I’m just testing to see if we “still have it” in us! 🙂 We’ll still be in bed early, no doubt! Thanks for sharing your plans with me. Silly games with the family are times when I feel most complete. I like having my “chicks” near me whenever possible! oxo

Your capture of the ever-magnificent Walt Disney Concert is for the win! Waaay better than what I got. Outstanding! And your planning skills is impressive. That reminds me, I’m not a big planner but Ima do so this holiday season vacation. Again, awesome pics. And have fun on your music experiences!

I do love Esperanza Spalding, Rommel. She’s a talented, innovative young artist! And you may not think you are so into jazz, but you may like more artists than you know! And thanks for the compliments on the concert hall photos, but I thought yours were just great, too! I am going to check out the collage program you mentioned. I have fun with these apps! 🙂

I would love to tour this concert hall with you guys…you need to come and add it to MTMs “architectural tour.” And I thought you had big plans for the holidays. Are you going to be home by New Year’s? You don’t have to answer that now…I know this will be a good blog story! 🙂

Wow! I am impressed! As an organizing expert I have never thought to plan for New Years in August. But this is so brilliant because you are set up for a fabulous evening to bring in the new year. You so have to blog about how it went afterwards. ~Thea

Thea, This is the first year in 40 years of marriage that I’ve planned ahead for New Year’s! It’s taken me this long to figure out that by NYE we are usually both exhausted physically and financially! LOL! The email I received highlighted the concert was specifically for NYE and I jumped on it without much thought. Now I’m glad I did! I will definitely share about it afterward. It should be a very nice evening and something to look forward to! Thank you! 🙂

I love the architecture of that Disney building… Good for you to already have evening plans… Most New Year’s eves are spent at home with my family. We watch the festivities, ring in the new year with a prayer and some bubbly, and then off to bed we go… Yeah, I know. It might be a boring option for some, but I’m happy about it. 🙂

I have yet not planned anything specific for New Year’s Eve, but I will definitely spend it with my kids one way or another. Sounds like you are in for a treat, yourself. Very smart being that early so you could get what you wanted – and at the time you wanted. I am not a big fan of big-money and multinational Disney-company, but the Walt Disney Concert Hall looks awesome. Quite some spectacular architecture judging by your pictures. And they are amazing, too, beautifully capturing the characteristics of the concert hall. By the way will you stay up till the turning of the year at least?

Thank you for complimenting on the photos of the Disney Concert Hall, Otto. It is a wonderful place to listening to music, with absolutely exceptional acoustics! I will more than likely be up to make noise on the front porch at midnight, but if I get too tired, I’ll take comfort in the fact that in New York it will be midnight three hours before we ring in the new year on the west coast. In other words, it will be midnight somewhere! LOL!

Following that thought a bit further, the good thing then, is that today somewhere in the world it’s passed midday, and the apocalypse hasn’t destroyed those people. Brings about some hope for the future…